By Rosie Shead, PA
The UK military has launched its first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface.
The satellite, named Tyche, will support military operations as well as environmental disaster monitoring, mapping information development and tracking the impact of climate change globally, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The satellite was launched on Friday from a rocket owned by SpaceX, the company co-founded by technology entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk.
Tyche, which is comparable in size to a washing machine, was designed and built in the UK through a £22 million contract awarded to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL) and is the first satellite to be fully owned by the MoD.
The MoD said the war in Ukraine had shown that the use of space is “crucial” to military operations.
SSTL received the first signals from Tyche a few hours after lift-off that confirmed the successful launch from Vandenberg space force base, California, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter 11 mission.
Over a five-year life span, the 150kg satellite will provide imagery to support the UK armed forces and is the first to be launched by the MoD out of a constellation of satellites under its space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) programme.
Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: “Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government.
“Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly-skilled jobs in the UK.”
The MoD said the design and build of Tyche had supported about 100 high-skilled roles at SSTL since 2022.
UK Space Commander Major General Paul Tedman said: “This is a fabulous day for UK space.
“The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit.
“Tyche represents the first of a future constellation of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance satellites that we’ll launch over the coming years.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everybody involved with Tyche and thank them for their support.”
Defence equipment and support space team leader Paul Russell described the project as an “exciting journey”.
He said: “To see Tyche – the first of a new generation of UK military capabilities – delivered into orbit is an incredibly proud moment and a tribute to everyone’s commitment to this key project.”